Raudsaar observes that the trend is such that "the 1980s have returned to the capital," and argues that this is also enabled by employers who have found it easier to hire internationals.

While Raudsaar would not name specific places, as he says these are now too numerous, he has repeatedly found taxi drivers, restaurant servers, or hotel receptionists – jobs which should require conversational Estonian – who do not understand anything in the state language, though he notes an Egyptian hairdresser in Tallinn as a happy exception.

He adds that, given market traders in Egypt can recognize Estonian and use some phrases, "dark-skinned guests from southern countries likewise should not be completely incapable of learning" here, and with the Ukraine war in its fourth year too, this is enough time for those who have moved to Tallinn to learn Estonian, noting that "we're not talking about the need to deliver a lecture in nuclear physics."

Younger Estonians in particular are even quicker to switch over to English, though Raudsaar writes that he has "become stubborn on this issue and have essentially continued the interaction in Estonian," concluding that: "Anyone who wants to live in Estonia must know our language."

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!